Friday, October 16, 2009

Friday Fun: Five Gross & Goofy Body Facts

A chameleon’s eyeballs can rotate in almost any direction, but they don’t always move together. One eye can look up while the other looks down. One can stare straight ahead while the other glances backward. That makes it easy for chameleons to scan their surroundings for predators and prey.

Tough, clear scales protect a snake’s eyes. When the snake molts, or sheds its skin, the eye scales pop off, too. Luckily, there are new ones waiting underneath.

When a male razorback sucker rolls his eyes at another male fish, he’s saying, “Back off, punk. This is my stream!” When a female yellow-bellied slider turtle rolls her eyes at a male, it means, “Hubba, hubba! You look like a good mate.”

Looking for a tasty treat? In some countries people snack on cows’ eyes. After removing the vitreous humor, lens, cornea, and iris, they boil what’s left. Then they stuff the eyes with coleslaw, beef, or cream cheese. Sounds yummy!

Whirligig beetles and four-eyed fish are the only animals that can see clearly above and below water at the same time. What’s their secret? Their eyeballs are divided in half. The top half of each eye watches for predators and prey above the water’s surface while the bottom half keeps an eye on the watery world below. What a great trick!

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About Me

Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 180 nonfiction books for children. Her lifelong fascination with the natural world led her to earn a B.S.
in biology and M.A. in science journalism. When Melissa isn’t writing or speaking to children or educators, she’s usually exploring natural places near her home or around the world.